Tunnel mold-form.



H. B. LOT HERMAN.

TUNNEL MOLD FORM.

APPUCAHON FILED APR. 2. i916.

Lga gfio mmm Nov. 15}, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 1 l8 wnmzs s f U INVENTOFL l/M a 1, Q1 L I a ATTORNEYS: fig g H. B. LOXTERMAN.

TUNNEL MOLD FORM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I2. 1916.

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ATTORNEYS.

v era rnras HOWARD B. LOXTERMAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNGR T BLAW STEEL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPQRATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TUNNEL MOLD-F0315.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1916. ESerial No. 90,532.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOWARD B. Lox'rnnoniiv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunnel Mold-Forms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mold forms and more particularly to thatclass of forms used in the construction of railway and other tunnels dug through the earth and lined with concrete. The invention has for its principal object the provision of mold forms that can be readily set up in the field and moved to various positions; the provision of a mold form adapted to be carried upon rollers and provided with means for relieving the weight of the form and the concrete from the rollers; the provision of mold forms that can be secured to the earth or stone walls of the excavated tunnels and held against dis placement without the use of cross braces now commonly used; and such other objects as may hereinafter appear. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the inside of one of the tunnel form sections; Fig. 2 is a detail of the form elevating mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line HI-HI of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings the mold form comprises a plurality of panels or mold sections which serve to mold the side wall and ceiling of the tunnel when two of the panels are arranged face to face so that their top faces abut one another. Each panel is formed of straight vertical channel irons 1 to which arched truss members 2 are secured by means of fish plates 3 which are securely bolted to the channel irons and the truss members. The trusses 2 are made up of a series of plates 4 which are disposed between and reinforced by marginal angles 5 and (3, and the joints of the plates 4 being rein forced by fish plates 7.

The vertical channels 1 of each panel are connected by longitudinal angles 8 upon which are riveted sheet metal plates 9 which form the side of the mold form. Near the top of the straight portion or the panels a loose rectangular panel 10 is provided in each panel which may be removed when the panel is in operative position for the purpose of providing an opening in the form through which the concrete may be poured to form the lower portion of the wall of the tunnel. The truss portions 2 of the panels are otl'set slightl y with respect to the straight portions of the panels for the purpose of providing a seat for wood lagging strips 11 which are built up as the concrete is being filled in between the earth and the tunnel form. These lagging boards are adapted to support the concrete and mold the arched portion of the tunnel.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that two panels arranged to face one another serve to mold the complete tunnel section. When the molds are in operative position the abutting ends of the truss members are socured together by means of bolts which pass through the holes 12 in the angle clips 13, thus forming a complete mold section.

The lower ends of the vertical channels 1 are connected by longitudinally disposed angle irons 1% which serve as a base member for the panels and to which rollers 15 are pivoted by means of yoltes l6 securely bolted to the angle irons 14. in operation, the form is first set up and mounted upon the rails 17 upon which the rollers are adapted to travel when the form is being moved into operative position.

Inasmuch as it is desirable to relieve the rollers from the strain of carrying the concrete when the ll'lOltlS are in operative position, jack screws 18 are provided at the center of each panel section for the purpose of raising" the forms into operative position and raising the wheels above the rails so that they will not carry any of the load when the form is in such operative position. These jack screws are threaded through flanged sleeves 19 (Fig. 1) which are securely riveted or bolted to the base flange of the angle iron 1%, the lower ends of the jack screws bearing upon blocks 20 which straddle the rails 17 and bear both upon the top of the rail and the rail support. The wearing plate .21 is disposed between the block 20 and the jack screw 18 for the purpose of distributing the load over the top surface of the block. The base flanges of the angle irons 14 are reinforced by vertical angles 22 which prevent the base flanges of the angles 14 from bending upward. The

Patented ova is, 191%.

been supplied up to this level the lagging boards 11 are applied a few atn time, until the top of the tunnel has been coinpletel formed, the concrete at the extreme top of the tunnel being applied from the end of the section after all the lagging boards have been put in place.

After the concrete has become sui'licicntly set the panel sections are collapsed in the manner previousl described and moved into :1 new operative position.

It is obvious that certain changes may he made in the details of the construction herein illustrated and described and the invcntitm 18 not lnnited to the specific construction herein disclosed.

ii het I claim is:

A tunnel mold comprising in combination, u niohl fol-1n having a ceiling mold and two downwardly projecting side ivull molds, rollers for carrying the "forms pivoted to the side Wall EliOlll-i rails upon which the rollers truvcl. incl; screws curried by the forms for elevating the torius to operative position, and bearing;- blocks uduptcd to straddle the rails and hour on the support therefor and serve us 11 sent intendingon either side of the ruil 't'or supporting; the juck screws when 1 J'l fYiiZkllD B. LOKTERMAN. 

